Russian personal bankruptcy begins with selecting the lawful route, testing eligibility and making full financial disclosure—not with an automatic debt write-off. A court case is heard by an arbitrazh court with a financial manager. The out-of-court MFC route is available only when its statutory conditions are met. Both require accurate creditor information and disclosure of assets, income, accounts and transactions.
Court or MFC
The routes have different eligibility rules, participants and consequences.
Full disclosure
Debts, income, assets, accounts, transactions and enforcement cases must be reconciled.
No automatic result
Discharge depends on the final order, statutory exceptions and conduct.
Quick self-check
- Prepare one complete creditor and debt list.
- Reconcile income, accounts, assets and relevant transactions.
- Review enforcement cases and MFC eligibility.
- For court, prepare the petition and Article 213.4 evidence.
- Identify the SRO from which a financial-manager nominee may be proposed.
- Do not stop mandatory current payments merely because a petition is being prepared.
Choosing the Court or MFC Route
Court bankruptcy is governed by Chapter X of Federal Law No. 127-FZ. A person may have a filing duty under Article 213.4(1) or a right to file where bankruptcy is foreseeable and statutory insolvency or asset-insufficiency indicators exist. The MFC procedure is a separate route with a statutory debt range and special enforcement-related eligibility grounds.
Pre-filing Review
Collect contracts and calculations, enforcement records, bank statements, income evidence, property records, company interests, marital-property information and transaction evidence. A discrepancy may be explainable, but concealment of a material asset or creditor creates serious risk.
- consolidate all obligations;
- separate overdue, current and disputed amounts;
- identify title and security over assets;
- review transactions and family transfers;
- document the causes of insolvency.
How the Court Case Proceeds
After accepting the petition, the court tests its merits and decides the procedure and financial-manager appointment. Notices are published, claims are registered and income, assets and transactions are reviewed. Debt restructuring, asset realisation or settlement may follow. The separate court-stage guide owns the detailed timeline.
Assets, Living Funds and Costs
During asset realisation, administration of the estate passes to the financial manager. Statute and Article 446 of the Civil Procedure Code protect specified property and monetary limits, subject to the actual asset file and court orders. Court costs, manager remuneration, publications and other necessary expenses should be reviewed separately; a single universal advertised total is unreliable.
Completion
At completion, the court reviews the financial manager’s report and separately decides discharge. Some claims survive by statute, while dishonest conduct may affect the result. The final order—not marketing—controls the legal consequences.
| Issue | Court route | MFC route |
|---|---|---|
| Administrator | Arbitrazh court and financial manager | MFC with EFRSB publication |
| Review | Debts, assets, income, transactions and claims | Formal eligibility and enforcement records |
| Assets | Investigated and administered in the case | New asset information may affect the route |
| Creditors | Claims are filed in the court case | A complete petition list is critical |
| Outcome | Controlled by court order | Controlled by the out-of-court statute |
Frequently Asked Questions
Must a self-petition involve RUB 500,000?
Not always. The threshold is relevant to the filing duty, while a filing right may arise from foreseeable bankruptcy and statutory indicators.
Can MFC be chosen simply because court is unaffordable?
No. Article 223.2 eligibility must be met.
Are all debts discharged automatically?
No. Article 213.28 exceptions and the circumstances of the case apply.
May a disputed account or old transaction be omitted?
No. It should be disclosed and explained.
Where is a court case checked?
Use the Arbitrazh Case File and EFRSB, plus case materials available to the participant.
Official Sources
- Federal Law No. 127-FZ.
- Federal Tax Service: citizen bankruptcy.
- Supreme Court review dated 18 June 2025, amended in 2026.
- Arbitrazh Case File.
- Bankruptcy Register.
Related tools: free document builder, MFC bankruptcy and asset inventory.
Need to Choose the Bankruptcy Route?
We can review eligibility, evidence, assets and filing risks without promising a predetermined result.
BOOK AN INITIAL CONSULTATIONGeneral information as at 29 August 2026. The applicable route depends on the debts, applicant status, assets, evidence and court orders; discharge is not guaranteed.
What changed in Russian personal bankruptcy in 2026
The core court and out-of-court routes remain, but a 2026 filing should account for several new rules. They do not remove the duty to disclose assets and income and do not guarantee discharge of every debt.
See the specialist owner pages for a vehicle in bankruptcy, protected payments, and self-employment after bankruptcy. This page remains a route map rather than duplicating those detailed guides.
Official sources: Federal Law No. 67-FZ, Federal Law No. 179-FZ, and Federal Law No. 456-FZ.